Owls Nest Preschool is a small, family-owned preschool for children aged 2 to 5, run by husband and wife Graham and Charlotte Henderson. It takes a maximum of 28 children, and the site says the ratio is one teacher to every seven children, well below the Ministry of Education requirement of one to ten. It offers full-day, morning and afternoon sessions, and it has 20 Hours ECE. The preschool is at 69 Englefield Road in Northwood, on a quiet residential street that backs onto Englefield Reserve. The site says the reserve gate is locked, and the children go on excursions there.
The programme is Reggio Emilia inspired and child-directed, with group projects, baking, messy play and science and art activities. Each child has a learning portfolio with daily photos and learning stories. Morning and afternoon teas are made on site. The outdoor play area is large, and the site says the classrooms are light and warm. Older children have some structured time to prepare for school. Of the three other childcare services within a kilometre, the nearest is BestStart Styx Mill, 0.6 km away.